Nurse Preceptors Research Articles

Supporting the Nurse Preceptor Role: Implementing the R2C2 Feedback Model.

Nurse preceptors are key to the successful transition of graduate nurses to practice and experienced nurses to a new organization. Providing ongoing preceptor development is essential to support nurses in this vital role. The evidence-based R2C2 (relationship, reaction, content, coach) feedback and coaching model was implemented to facilitate the delivery of constructive feedback from nurse preceptors to their orientees. Post-intervention survey results suggest an overall positive response to the use of the feedback model in practice.

Nursing preceptors’ attitudes towards the applicability of the five-minute-preceptor-model in practical nursing education: A qualitative descriptive study

Objective: The “Five-Minute-Preceptor Model” (5MP) is a teaching method that is especially useful for teaching students in clinical training and strengthens the clinical reasoning skills of nursing students. Despite its acclaimed utility in clinical environments, there is a notable paucity of research on this model, particularly from the standpoint of nurse preceptors. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the views of the nurse preceptors towards the applicability of the 5MP in precepting nursing students.Methods: Adopting a qualitative descriptive design, this study involved 15 problem-centered interviews conducted in February 2022. The participants were nurse preceptors employed at a hospital in Southern Austria. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed. Data analysis was performed through qualitative content analysis following Kuckartz's methodology.Results: The qualitative content analysis yielded five main categories, further delineated into 14 sub-categories. Nurse preceptors generally had a positive attitude towards the applicability of the teaching method. They expressed it as practicable, supportive, and enhancing for their preceptorship. However, the universal application in every nursing setting and situation as well as the applicability in lower training levels was questioned by the nurse preceptors.Conclusions: The findings suggest that the 5MP is a viable teaching method for precepting nursing students. While some limitations in its adaptability to diverse settings and situations were identified, several participants noted the method's inherent flexibility for customization. Further research is required to extensively evaluate its effectiveness across varied nursing environments.

A Phenomenological Approach to Training Perinatal Nurse Preceptors

A Phenomenological Approach to Training Perinatal Nurse Preceptors

Nurse Preceptor Burnout: Contributing Factors.

The aim of this study was to assess nurse preceptor burnout and examine related factors. Nurse preceptors are essential to the provision of optimal hospital-based care. Preceptors guide and support nurses' transition from professional training to practice as well as movement within practice roles. As a component of the DevelopYou database, nurse preceptors (N = 210) were surveyed electronically using the BHLex Preceptor Role Questionnaire. Data retrieved from this data set were analyzed. Twenty-eight percent (n = 60) of participants experienced burnout. Most (n = 203, 96.7%) enjoyed their role. Reasons for becoming a preceptor included a love for teaching, a desire to help others, and feelings of responsibility to the profession and the institution. Strategies to enable perceived value of the role focused on activities involving person-to-person interactions. On the basis of the results of this analysis, it is apparent that nurse preceptors want to feel valued and supported by administration and have opportunities to interact regularly with colleagues.

Nursing Students' and Nurse Preceptors' Perspectives of an Ambulatory Dedicated Education Unit in Primary Care and General Internal Medicine.

The sustainability of prelicensure nursing clinical learning models within ambulatory care is dependent on strong partnership and the availability of ambulatory nurse preceptors. Evaluation of preceptor and student satisfaction with ambulatory clinical experiences is necessary to identify program strengths and opportunities. Nursing students' and nurse preceptors' perceptions of an ambulatory dedicated education unit (DEU) in primary care and general internal medicine practices were measured from 2021 to 2023. Students' survey responses indicated a high level of agreement for 20 (90.9%) of 22 items in 2021, 35 (100%) of 35 items in 2022, and 32 (91.4%) of 35 items in 2023. Preceptor responses demonstrated favorable agreement with all of the work-life satisfaction across the 3 years of the survey, with the exception of one question on the 2021 survey. Nursing students and staff nurse preceptors found the ambulatory DEU teaching and learning experience to be positive and satisfying. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(3):171-177.].

Core competencies for Registered Nurse preceptors: A mapping review of quantitative studies.

To review the contemporary international literature on nurse preceptor competencies and map the components and their descriptors. A mapping review. Articles reporting evidence-based and validated Registered Nurse (RN) preceptor competencies published between 2013 and 2022 were identified. Open access databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar and the library healthcare databases Scopus and CINAHL were searched. The authors collaborated at each review stage that included screening, article selection, tabulation, mapping and preparation of findings. Seven quantitative studies were included. Three were based on existing nurse preceptor competency data sets and four were purposely developed using collaborative research methods. Each study validated findings through a survey of nurse stakeholders. Three key competencies shared across all studies were 'facilitating teaching', 'being a role model' and 'evaluating student's performance'. The number of competency categories ranged from three to 10 and the accompanying item descriptors from 9 to 83. Although terminology describing data sets was inconsistent, similarity was seen across competency domains. The contemporary nursing preceptor role is considered an emerging specialist education role. The results offer a set of validated preceptor competency descriptors, applicable to practice, that provide insight into ways employers may recruit, support and retain nurse preceptors. The mapped results provide a concise summary of nurse preceptor competency research internationally that can inform further development of RN preceptors. This review addresses the lack of consensus around nursing preceptor competencies for clinical supervision of undergraduate nursing students. Seven competency domains were identified describing key preceptor role capabilities. The domains Facilitator', 'Role model' and 'Evaluator' featured across the included studies: 'More than 300 competency descriptors were reported'. Our review results could better prepare RN preceptors for their important role. Employers of RN preceptors could use the results to design performance competencies that may enhance nursing preceptorship. This review adheres to the PRISMA-ScR EQUATOR guidelines as the recommended reporting method for mapping reviews.

The Importance of Well-Being Education for Nurse Preceptors.

The Importance of Well-Being Education for Nurse Preceptors.

Description Competencies of Medical Surgical Nursing Preceptors at Naval Center Hospital Dr. Ramelan Surabaya, Indonesia

This study evaluated the competence of preceptors in surgical medical nursing. The research method uses quantitative descriptive with a cross-sectional research design. The sample number was 100 respondents doing clinical practice in medical-surgical nursing at the Navy Central Hospital. Dr. Ramelan Surabaya. The sampling technique uses Simple Random Sampling. The questionnaire used is the Preceptor Competency Questionnaire, which is a self-assessment. The results showed that all preceptors had good competence in all indicators. These indicators include knowledge competence, clinical skills, teaching ability, communication skills, personal characteristics, leadership, professional behavior, and ethics. However, a small percentage of receptors need to improve the ease of consultation. This research provides new insights into the practice of clinical guidance in surgical medical nursing. It can be applied to enhance the quality of clinical learning in hospitals and nursing education institutions.

Demanding yet supportive and developing: Nurse preceptors’ experiences of peer learning in nursing education in municipal elderly care homes

Nursing students commonly engage in clinical education in municipal elderly healthcare. Therefore, it is important to use a pedagogical model that provides the best conditions for nursing students to develop clinical competence. The aim of this study was to describe and interpret nurse preceptors’ experiences of a newly implemented pedagogical model, peer learning, in municipal elderly care home settings. Nine registered nurses from elderly care homes with precepting experience participated. Data were collected through individual interviews, and a thematic content analysis was performed. The study followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. The findings revealed four sub-themes: ‘requiring careful preparation’; ‘contributing control and trust in the learning process’; ‘changing perspectives brings new opportunities and challenges’; and ‘enabling students to believe in themselves’, all interpreted into the main theme of ‘demanding yet supportive and developing’. In conclusion, municipal elderly care homes seemed to be a learning environment well suited for using the peer learning pedagogical model.

The lived experiences of nurse preceptors in training new nurses in Qatar: qualitative study

BackgroundThe role of preceptors is vital in the successful integration of new graduate nurses in hospital settings. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nurse preceptors in training newly joined nurses in Qatar.MethodsQualitative study was conducted between May 2022 and May 2023. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted through MS Teams with 13 nurse preceptors who had completed preceptorship training and trained at least one newly joined nurse. Participants were recruited until data saturation was obtained and data were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis.ResultsThe results of the study revealed several main themes: teaching strategies and progressive skill development in preceptorship, challenges faced by the preceptor and preceptor better supported in training new nurses. The preceptors utilized different techniques to support new nurses including demonstration, discussion, use of technology, application of real-life clinical scenarios, simulations, and a gradual decrease in supervision to promote independence. However, a significant challenge was also reported including preceptors experienced high levels of exhaustion from the dual responsibilities of training new staff while also performing their regular care duties.ConclusionsThe study underscores the fundamental role preceptors play in the training and development of newly joined nurses. While the challenges are considerable, particularly related to managing workload, the sense of achievement following the successful completion of training a new nurse suggests a strong commitment to this role. Despite the challenges, preceptors demonstrated innovative strategies to ensure the successful development of their preceptees, highlighting the importance of preceptorship in nursing education and practice.

Creation of an Enhanced Primary Care Registered Nurse Preceptor Role: A Pilot Project

ABSTRACT Historically, community health nursing education has not encompassed clinical sites in primary care. Primary care can be an important domain of community health nursing education. However, student practicum opportunities are limited by the number of and underutilization of RNs practicing at the full scope of their licensure (including assessment, client education, care planning and evaluation of care interventions) who can serve as student preceptors, especially in rural areas. This article describes the creation and implementation of the Enhanced Primary Care Registered Nurse (EPCRN) role in rural primary care clinics, as well as evaluates student perceptions of the EPCRN-precepted clinical experience. One nursing school used a federal training award to create the role of Enhanced Primary Care Registered Nurses (EPCRNs) to practice in federally-designated Rural Health Clinics. The EPCRNs worked in the Rural Health Clinics performing patient care and also functioned as student preceptors. Student experiences were evaluated through quantitative and qualitative methods, namely the Clinical Learning Experience, Supervision, and Nurse Teacher (CLES+T) scale and focus groups. This pilot project demonstrated positive pre-licensure student experience feedback as well as role value and sustainability for the health system. This pilot served as an example of a process for EPCRN role design within a primary care clinic site. It also demonstrated the importance of innovative, sustainable academic-practice partnerships.

Developing a continuing education module to improve the competency of nurse preceptors

Nurse preceptors are crucial in the education of prelicensure nursing students. They need continued education and support to serve as competent preceptors. This article introduces a continuing education module to better prepare them for this role. It covers the initial assessment of the students, the schedule development, how to set boundaries and model clinical reasoning skills, and how to handle some special situations. With training and ongoing support from the hospital and nursing faculty, the nurse preceptors will help produce safe and competent nurses.

Preparing Primary Care Registered Nurse Preceptors for Emerging Care Coordination and Chronic Disease Self-Management Roles.

Nurse educators must prepare the future RN work-force to practice in emerging primary care roles. This program evaluation report describes the approach taken to develop and evaluate a novel preceptor education program designed to prepare RNs to precept nursing students in primary care coordination and disease self-management roles. The program was designed as a three-stage hybrid learning intervention with the goals of preparing RNs to (a) provide primary care coordination and disease self-management support and (b) precept nursing students. Evaluation tools were designed to reflect specific learning objectives of these goals pre- and postintervention. Preliminary evaluation data indicate the preceptor program provided a useful set of educational activities to prepare primary care RN preceptors for their new roles. Participants reported increased confidence levels in primary care coordination and disease self-management and student precepting responsibilities. Nursing students' evaluations showed positive primary care clinical experiences. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(10):454-461.].

Tips for Being an Effective Nurse Preceptor.

AORN JournalVolume 117, Issue 5 p. P4-P6 Lead Feature Tips for Being an Effective Nurse Preceptor Lisa Croke, Lisa Croke Managing EditorSearch for more papers by this author Lisa Croke, Lisa Croke Managing EditorSearch for more papers by this author First published: 27 April 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/aorn.13924Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Volume117, Issue5Special Focus Issue: Infection PreventionMay 2023Pages P4-P6 RelatedInformation

Virtual Reflection Group Meetings as a Structured Active Learning Method to Enhance Perceived Competence in Critical Care: Focus Group Interviews With Advanced Practice Nursing Students

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) are in high demand in critical care units. In Norway, APNs are educated at the master's degree level and acquire the competence to ensure the independent, safe, and effective treatment of patients in constantly and rapidly changing health situations. APNs' competence embraces expert knowledge and skills to perform complex decision-making in the clinical context; therefore, it is essential that educational institutions in nursing facilitate learning activities that ensure and improve students' achievement of the required competence. In clinical practice studies of APN education, face-to-face reflection group (FFRG) meetings, held on campus with the participation of a nurse educator and advanced practice nursing students (APNSs), are a common learning activity to improve the competence of APNSs. Although FFRG meetings stimulate APNSs' development of required competencies, they may also result in unproductive academic discussions, reduce the time that APNSs spend in clinical practice, and make it impossible for nurse preceptors (NPs) to attend the meetings, which are all challenges that need to be addressed. This study aimed to address the challenges experienced in FFRG meetings by implementing virtual reflection group (VRG) meetings and to explore the experiences of APNSs, NPs, and nurse educators in VRG meetings as an active learning method supported by technology to stimulate students' development of the required competence to become APNs in critical care. This study adopted a qualitative explorative design with 2 focus group interviews and used inductive content analysis to explore the collected data. The main finding is that reflection group meetings supported by technology resulted in a better-structured active learning method. The VRG meeting design allowed APNSs to spend more time in clinical practice placements. The APNSs and NPs experienced that they participated actively and effectively in the meetings, which led to a perceived increase in competence. The APNSs also perceived an improved learning experience compared with their prior expectations. Users perceived that the implemented novel teaching design supported by technology, the VRG meeting, was a more effective method than FFRG meetings on campus to develop APNSs' required competence in critical care. The VRG was also perceived as an improved method to solve the challenges encountered in FFRG meetings. Specifically, the APNSs felt that they were prepared to undertake complex decision-making with a higher level of analytic cognition in a clinical context and to lead professional discussions in the ward. This developed teaching design can easily be adapted to diverse educational programs at various levels of professional education.

Nurse preceptors' perceptions of the fundamentals of nursing knowledge gained by students in clinical rotations at nursing homes: A qualitative study.

International evidence suggests that clinical nurses and nursing students perceive fundamental care as not being important, not complicated and even not a nurse's responsibility, thus resulting in negative patient outcomes. To explore nurse preceptors' perceptions about the factors that influence nursing students' gaining of knowledge about fundamental care during their clinical practice at nursing home. A qualitative descriptive study using individual interviews was conducted from September 2020 to April 2021. Nine nurse preceptors employed at five nursing homes participated. The data were analysed by employing an inductive qualitative content analysis. The analysis generated one main category-'Fostering students' knowledge and understanding of fundamental care'-supported by two categories: (i) 'Nurse preceptors - enablers of nursing students' learning fundamental care' and (ii) 'Nursing home - a learning environment that facilitates students' learning about the delivery of fundamental care', which can be interpreted as the preconditions that may contribute to fostering students' knowledge and understanding of fundamental care. The study reveals that nurse preceptors' attributes, an effective preceptorship and a social learning environment can create opportunities for nursing students learning the provision of fundamental care in nursing homes. Furthermore, Vygotsky's theory of sociocultural learning may be applied when teaching in clinical nursing education.

Contributions of nursing students during their clinical practice in primary care: Adaptation and validation of a scale

AimTo adapt the ‘Nursing Student Contributions to Clinical Settings’ scale (CEEEC, Spanish acronym), designed for specialized care and to evaluate the validity and reliability of a measure in the primary health care setting. Additionally, a description of the contributions of nursing students to primary health care in Spain is presented, based on the perception of preceptor nurses. MethodsA multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted in Spain, involving a committee of nursing experts who participated in a Delphi panel (n = 5) and cognitive interviews (n = 5) and a sample of nursing preceptors (n = 300) from 57 primary health care centers (2019–2020). The CEEEC was reviewed by experts for the conceptual semantic adequacy of the 24 items for its application in primary health care. Nurse preceptors’ responses to the CEEEC scale were used to study the validity and reliability of the measure, including factor analysis, convergent validity with the Health Sciences-Evidence Based Practice scale and a matched test-retest over a three-week interval. ResultsAccording to the consensus of experts, the CEEEC scale is valid for primary health care with minimal modifications (change "patient" to "user"). Based on the analysis of responses to the scale, the corrected item-total correlations of the 24 items were ≥ 0.40 and were grouped into a single factor, explaining 46.3% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.95. Regarding convergent validity, there was a positive correlation between the CEEEC scale and the score of the Health Sciences-Evidence Based Practice scale (Pearson’s coefficient= 0.33; p < 0.001). The overall intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.91. Finally, the mean CEEEC score was 61.9 points (range 0–96). The two most positive contributions were ‘Nursing students enable nursing professionals to perform their teaching role’ and ‘Nursing students become future professionals who know the healthcare facility’. ConclusionsThe CEEEC scale provides a valid and reliable measure of nursing students' contributions to primary health care. Nursing students’ contributions to Spanish primary health care were positive, especially towards the nursing profession and healthcare organizations.

Nurse preceptors' orientation competence and associated factors-A cross-sectional study.

To identify distinct orientation competence profiles amongst nurse preceptors and explain the associated factors. A cross-sectional study design. The data were collected during the winter of 2020-2021 from registered nurses (N=8279, n=844) at one university hospital in Finland through an online questionnaire that included a self-administered electronic version of the Preceptors' Orientation Competence Instrument. K-means clustering was then used to identify nurse preceptor profiles. Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests were used to analyse factors associated with competence profiles. The results were reported as frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. A total of three distinct orientation competence profiles (A, B, C) were identified. Profile A nurses evaluated their orientation competence at the highest level, whereas profile C nurses evaluated their competence at the lowest level. Sufficient clinical and theoretical experience, a motivation to work, willingness to orient new employees and participation in orientation and/or mentoring education were found to be associated with competence profiles. The findings expand the current knowledge base of nurse preceptors' orientation competence. Health care organizations should recognize different orientation competence profiles amongst the nursing staff since the selection of a preceptor should always be based on possessing the necessary orientation competence rather than availability. The results indicate that preceptors (who reported taking on various tasks and covering multiple roles) need support from co-workers to sufficiently concentrate on employee orientation tasks. The results also indicate that preceptors need further orientation education, which should-for example-outline the learning goals for new employees and how preceptors can assess employee performance. What problem did the study address? Prior research has not applied a robust theoretical framework covering all aspects relevant to a preceptor's competence. What were the main findings? A nurse's clinical and theoretical experience, motivation to work, willingness to orient new employees, and prior participation in orientation and/or student mentoring education were found to influence their level of orientation competence. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? Healthcare organizations can use the results of this study to make the selection of preceptors competency-based rather than their availability. Nurse leaders can use the results of this study to pinpoint which areas of nurses' orientation competence and associated factors need to be improved. Increased orientation competence will enable clinical nurses to provide high-quality orientation to new employees, which is crucial to the retention of nursing staff and the quality of patient care.

Nurse preceptors' experiences of promoting and teaching fundamental care to undergraduate nursing students: A qualitative study.

To explore nurse preceptors' experiences in promoting and teaching the delivery of fundamental care to nursing students during their clinical period at nursing homes. The study used a qualitative descriptive approach. Nine in-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with clinical nurses employed at five different nursing homes. Data collection lasted from September 2020 to April 2021. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive, qualitative content analysis was employed to analyse the data. Qualitative content analysis yielded one main category-'Fostering nursing students' knowledge and understanding of fundamental care'-supported by two subcategories: (i) 'Raising awareness of the importance of fundamental care' and 'Providing for learning through exchange and cooperation', which are interpreted as the ways nurse preceptors enable students to learn how to provide fundamental care during their clinical period at nursing homes. By taking the role of nurse preceptors, clinical nurses act as enablers for students' learning of the provision of fundamental care within nursing homes as the learning context. Nurse preceptors possess the pedagogical skills to initiate and conduct nursing students' learning processes. The study reveals that nurse preceptors stress the importance of providing fundamental care to patients; hence, teaching students to provide fundamental care was also found to be important. Within a nursing home context, nurses are responsible for providing fundamental care; therefore, they play an essential role in both providing and teaching about caregiving. The study shows that because of their preceptorship, nurse preceptors can enhance students' awareness of the importance of learning to provide fundamental care to patients. In addition, the study reveals that nurse preceptors work to enhance student's reflection and critical thinking by targeting the student's zone of proximal development, which represents a preliminary phase in students' learning.

Nurse preceptors’ perceptions of benefits, rewards, support, and commitment to the preceptor role in a new preceptorship program

BackgroundNurse preceptorship is a new concept emerging in the Iranian health care system. The purpose of this research was to assess preceptor nurses’ perceived benefits, rewards, support, and commitment to the role in a new nurse preceptorship program in Iran and to examine the relationships between these concepts.MethodsA descriptive correlational study was employed, and using total population sampling method, 45 preceptor nurses were recruited from a tertiary referral teaching hospital in Iran. Data were collected using the Preceptor’s Perception of Benefits and Rewards Scale, the Preceptor’s Perception of Support Scale, and the Commitment to the Preceptor Role Scale. Descriptive statistics and correlational analysis were used to analyse data.ResultsPreceptors’ commitment to their role was positively and moderately associated with their perceived benefits and rewards (r = 0.503, p = 0.001) and perceived support (r = 0.430, p = 0.003). None of the examined demographic and practice variables showed statistically significant association with commitment to the preceptor role.ConclusionsCommitment to the preceptor role was associated with benefits, rewards and support that preceptor nurses perceive in relation to their role. To optimise the effectiveness of nurse preceptorship programs, benefits, rewards, recognition, and support should be integral to planning of these programs.